The UK government appears to have deprioritized its proposed ban on ticket touts, as the legislation was referred to as “draft” in the King’s Speech for 2026. These proposals, announced by Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy in November, aimed to prohibit the sale of tickets at prices higher than their original purchase price. This legislation would outlaw ticket touting and extend to resale platforms such as Viagogo and StubHub.
On May 8, Prime Minister Keir Starmer shared a letter with NME, pledging to “put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales.” This reaffirmed his commitment to the issue, which is included in the Labour Party’s 2024 General Election manifesto. However, during this year’s King’s Speech, delivered to the House of Commons on May 13, the ticket touting bill was categorized as “draft legislation.” This indicates that it will not be presented to ministers during the current parliamentary session and will instead undergo further public consultation. Last year, the ticket tout ban was the subject of an open consultation, where the majority of respondents expressed a desire for a cap on ticket resale prices at face value.
In a statement, UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl, who released an open letter urging the government to adhere to its pledge on May 11, described the absence of the ticket touting ban in the King’s Speech as a “betrayal of millions of music fans.”
He stated, “Until we take action against exorbitant ticket resales, we will continue to see money drained from the pockets of UK fans and the UK music industry, benefiting the already large profits of ticket resale businesses.” He urged MPs to examine the legislative program and seek alternative opportunities to ensure that primary legislation is passed during this year’s parliamentary session.
